Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-21
JEWELED sECRECEES.
Fashion of Wearing Garter Buckles
Mounted with Precious Stones.


NEW YORK, March 19.-Every one has
often seen in the great jewelry stores
garter clasps set with jewels. In one OF
the largest jewelry stores on the conti-
nent there are some garter buckles con-
tanning rubies or amethysts or pearls and
| valued at hundreds OF dollars. Other du-
| bious ornaments OF the same sort are dia-
| mond or pearl studs for buttoning the
underwear at the throat. Ii a man had
| them he would want TO parade them in
| his shirt front and have his shirt front
| photographed in dozen imperials-or
! else he would have them on his finger and
stay up all night for month of Sundays
| to let eyeryb body see what he had. Yet
| they are intended to be worn hidden away
under two or three layers of a lady's
| clothing. l defended the wearing OF
| pretty lace and embroidery and inserting
and all that sort OF thing, L know, but
this ieweled under wear is teo, too much.
It's as incomprehensiDls to little me as
! the question, no on earth would buy
| mourning underwearw Yet l saw some
! of that for sale in Broadway not long
| ago.
There these secret jewels are in the
stores, and probably there they always
will be-these and things like them
though, for that matter, those identical
ones would stay there forever if they
| NAitcu LOT tuS W guy tHcui, even III i W no
swaddled in bank notes and had to light
the gas with them to get rid OF what
| couldn't spend or give away. But what
Pm getting at ia that these things do exist,
| and, OF course, there must be customers
for them. Who are tbeyY Whenever
ask clerk he 10 sure to say. ''Oh, gen.
tlemen buy them to give as presents to
ladies'" When l ask what sort OF ladies,
or whether he ever heard any lady, wo-
man or girl or petticoated being OF any
sort say she would like one the clerk is
| certain to say he never did. I've been
| making q perfect nuisance of myself ask
ing such questions for years and | never
! got any other answer,
But (tsn't it funny how things happen)
| | got heap OF information GU tie subject
| within week, IL came all in a bunch
when it was not expected, the way bad
luck and country relatives come. First,
| | met an actress and she told me thai
| these very things are flung to her in bOu-
DUETS and sent to her By express by per-
| sons who don't know her but would like
to. Fancy, as she said herself, fancy
man trying TO make good impression on
a lady by sending her pair of garter
! clasps. She also said that she knew OF
several women on the stage who really
do wear them. Actors give them to them.
| | never thought much of actors. | have
seen many off the stage and never yet
saw one that l didn't think was little
soft or cracked, but what this little lady
told me weakened even my poor opinion
| OF them. "Thay buy these things" said
she, "because they are expensive, and
| they prefer expensive things because
that's the quickest way to get rid of
money. The average actor is never a.
ease until he has thrown away that nalf
of his money which does not go On the
bar" SO there was one place these jew
| eled secrecies went to.
A few nights atterward [ was at Ma
sonic bali-a hIghiy swell and diamond
crested affair. In the ladies' cloak room
/ met friend who instantly became very
mysterious and said: ''Oh, do wait a
minute and you'll see something very
strange" l waited until l grew very
anxious to see the ballroom. Here she
is at last; get pin ready; she'll ask you
for oue," my friend whispered, as big
stout miss in pink came in. With much
curiosity l found a pin. but the stout
young woman got one of another lady.
| Then she walked to a chair, put up one
she was alone and proceeded 10 pin one
of those Identical jeweled notions TO the
garment 1t was to keep in place. The
chair was in the middle Of the room, so
that only the blind could have failed 20
see the whole set out.
''She has been In here aud gone through
exactly that performance every quarter
of an hour the whole blessed night" said
my friend, sand all to show us that she
wears those horrid things"
"lrs pity" l said, thoroughly an
gered, "that she couldn't hand them
around on a plate and thus confine the
| exhibition within bounds"
AMY l.. WEAVER.